yaj15

iTrader: (3)

That's very cool. So the 1986 L69 is more than a myth.

Mark_ZZ3

Fully documented that they exist. A fellow TGO member owns one.

The 350 powered 1986 cars is still a myth - but fun to talk about.

Mark.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

BTW, this car sold for $1000 today.

okfoz

Mark would have to verify this for me, but I think all of the 1986 L69 cars were early production year, and almost all of them went to Canada, and most of those were used in the Players series. A few were sold in the US, but very few for the 86 MY. I would be interested to find out if they were all made before 1986 Calendar Year.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

74 L69 cars made (VIN G) in 1986, all of them 5spds w/3:73 G80 rear, 63 of them were R7U and went to Canada, the remaining 11 were domestic delivered.

okfoz

Multiple Choice:
a) Wrong Hatch
b) Wrong bumper emblem
c) All the above

I do not believe any of the 86 "prototypes" had the 5.7 Fuel Injection sticker on the bumper, it would not have made sense.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Wrong everything. It's just another '86 with a cheap repaint and wrong emblems. I only posted it here because it was represented to me as a 5.7, '86.

But If I knew my friend's office manager was willing to dump it for $1K, I probably would have scooped it up. That's parts car money.

okfoz

something like 4 of the Trans Am's in the US... I think my neighbor had one in my neighborhood where I grew up... but the car is gone now, I remember he had an 86 and it had the sticker on the HO rocker, he bought it new and he claimed he did not put the sticker there, Dealer could have done it tho. I remember it had the 5 speed, and the dual snorkle thing on the intake too... but that was 20 years ago.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

30 years ago now John.

Mark_ZZ3

Well officially ... "A4Q" cars ... :-)

22 L69 Trans Am's where made and shipped to Canada. All with 3.70 Borg Warner gears.

63 L69 Camaros were made and shipped to Canada. All with 3.73 gears.

There is one L69 Camaro without the Z49 Canadian code. Hmm. Compnine database lists 64 L69 cars ... which is usually the Canadian numbers. Hmm ... one odd duck.

Mark.

Mark_ZZ3

The Players cars were made in the April 16-19th range.

Mark.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

I was counting Camaro's only - couldn't find anything a couple years ago when I did my research on TA's.

okfoz

30 is Probably closer... I moved in 1999, and it was a few years prior... The car was not new then, it was older, had to be in the mid 90's...

John

okfoz

1986? I know the normal changeover is around sept/aug, just making sure.

okfoz

there is a thread,
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...e-players.html

Has the numbers you are looking for

John

Mark_ZZ3

Yes ... 1986 ones were made in April timeframe. Later years were earlier than that. I think the whole 1986 program came together pretty quick.

Mark.

SirReveller

iTrader: (4)

Back to the title of the thread..this guy's got two..
https://yuma.craigslist.org/cto/d/re...450445733.html
..5.7 Ts of four irocs.
If he's not a TGO member he should be!

z28cop

Lol! I’ve obviously been working too much...How did I miss this thread? Very funny read. Wrong place to come with no proof... bout like that 1984 Iron Duke IROC Z I had...lol. Now where is that title?????

SirReveller

iTrader: (4)

They found the original Bullitt Mustang recently
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vid...d-real-mcqueen

so it's not completely outside the realm of possibility someone likewise squirreled away one of the '86 tester 350s...it's just, um, "highly improbable."

Drew

iTrader: (58)

It's sitting in Bigfoot's driveway under a Harbor Freight tarp. Just waiting for some booger pickin 16 year old to come along and cash in big.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I read that too. Enjoyed the part where he had people in the garage to authenticate it, but they had to leave before his daughter got home from school. She didn't know what it was and didn't want to burden her with it, lol.

The thing I find so amusing about the "50 test cars" is everyone talks about 'em like they were legitimate unicorns. They weren't. They either weren't VIN'd, or they weren't 1986 cars. -or perhaps they were, just with a 305. I mean it's not like there WERE actually 50 VIN'd cars. These were throw aways. They mean nothing to official history, even if 1 OR all 50 were found. Cool points, sure, but nothing "official". Can you imagine the countless number of "test" cars GM has had over the years!!!!! Hundreds!!!! -if not THOUSANDS! Every new engine is tested LONG before it's sold, and they're in GM cars. I guess I'm not sure why these 50 have somehow captured our imagination.

Heck we even know that modern LS engines have been tested in old thirdgen cars. I guess I don't see why these 50 are special.

Mark_ZZ3

Let's recall the 1992 Heritage Prototype car. Vette engine, six speed. It was just an RS Camaro - modified by GM, tested, showcased, and then ... destroyed. I'd think they made a bunch of 350 powered cars, both in auto and 5 speed. 87 became production 350 auto cars. 86 certainly had test cars. I'm sure GM made 350 5 speed cars ... either the trans was week or the car was faster than the vette!!!

I talked to the shop that was under license to destroy GM cars. Got pics of some as well. I can say for certain GM made some, and then destroyed them. Would have been cool to work at that salvage place ... image all the parts you could have bought ... but of course never build a car from.

Mark.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I can't help but think that if a person really dug into the "50 cars" claim, it'd be traced back to a misunderstanding between a GM rep, and the Automotive media. Not unlike the "swinging fuel pick-up" nonsense. Someone tried to explain something inadequately, someone heard something wrong, and WHAMMO! - Internet Legend, rumor to be repeated for a century.

My personal belief is that test cars existed, but probably not nearly as many as 50. They probably were used, abused, and scrapped or repurposed, and doubtful they ever escaped to the public.

The reason there's any obsession, is because of all the kiddos that wanted to believe the 86 Iroc they just bought really had a 350 in it, because some joker told them it's a 350, and they read it on a website, so surely it must really be a 350. Or they want to belief that if you had enough pull behind the scenes with GM you could just order anything you want.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

That is another misunderstanding that has been echoed for years.

okfoz

I do know that there was a time where you could get special things made.

I believe it was 1987, (for sake of anonymity I will refer to him as BC), who is a friend of my father's, owned a company that supplied parts to GM. BC ordered a 1987 Buick T-type in a special color. His wife wanted a Yellow one, but they did not offer yellow on the T-type. In the end there was 2 made, the dealer had to order 2 to get the job done, but it was done. Rumor has it that they also installed the Grand National Turbo setup on it instead of the T-type turbo, but that is rumor only. I see one of the Yellow T-Types at the Buick Research center parking lot, so one still exists.

However PAINT is a far cry from something that has to meed federal emissions standards for a particular year. IF by chance one of these cars got out, it could not be driven on the roads because the EPA did not sign off on it. I think one thing that many people just overlook or do not realize, is that unlike the 60's where there was hardly any regulation on cars, by the 80's the feds got fingers into everything that actually dictate car design, and engineering. Slapping a new engine in a car is a "big F*in' deal" (My Joe Biden quote of the day)

chazman

iTrader: (4)

The LT5 Camaro was suppose to be crushed. Somehow it survived and has been on eBay several times. But as has been mentioned it is not able to be licensed for public roads

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

John, with regard to those two yellow cars, I think it'd be interesting to see the paint code. With no knowledge of how the inner GM workings function, do they have a black paint code, and were then just painted a different color by slipping some guy in the paint booth a hundy after work one day?- or do they actually show a yellow paint code? To me, a yellow paint code makes it a 1 of 2 type "rare" situation. To me that would add value. A black paint code is just a cool story about how it came to be painted yellow, no real value.

I mean we know of several 86 swapped L98 cars. That's not rare. It's the VIN showing it had an ORIGINAL L98...which of course doesn't exist. Does it matter 30 years later, to some 16 year old kid what the VIN shows? -or who dropped the L98 in the car? No, not at all. Does it matter to us? -You better believe it!

Couldn't you simply register it with whatever engine the VIN shows? -or does the VIN somehow carry some sort of GM red flag saying it's not to be publicly registered? Is it because GM actually installed it? I know many of us are running engines not originally installed.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Special paint is not new and is still done today. Fleet code will cover that for you.

The LT5 Camaro is legal for street use - it now has an Arizona state assigned VIN.

okfoz

IIRC Yellow was an optional color on the regular Regal, but apparently not on the T-type which you could get several colors, just not yellow. Black was the Grand National and GNX only option (84-87), except for one of the proof of concept cars which was White apparently.

Not trying to change subject, was pointing out that special things can be done. And like Chris Mentioned, Fleets can be painted any color you want. Thus the reason why the dealer had to order 2... I wish I owned it.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

That's cool. I didn't know that. Not planning a new car...but a Jet Stream Blue Silverado regular cab would be bad a$$!

Big&BadGTA

iTrader: (1)

Depends on the code of "yellow", as the Turbo Regal in 1987 could have been had in a pale yellow, same as by other Regal. Colors were free flow on Regals with exception later on Black, which required RPO WE4

LC2 turbo 3.8 was same on Regal and GN, no difference. T vs. GN.

Big&BadGTA

iTrader: (1)

It was sold on a Bill of Sale. Folklore on needing to have been crushed. It was a Toy Box car, and sold during bankruptcy liquidation. I was there on the block that night. Had dinner w friends after the auction, including the buyer of that car.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Oh, not folklore. I did a story on the car back in th day for a local publication. The GM rep who was involved with the car, ( the construction of the car itself was farmed out to a vendor ), told me personally that once it's publicity duties were done, GM fully intended to destroy it .

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

If the windshield VIN is gone.
I'm sure it still has a firewall VIN an maybe the under fender VIN stamped on it.
Always wondered what the car WAS b4 it was converted

chazman

iTrader: (4)

I used to know but I can't remember now. I think it was an 88 or so engineering mule. Took a bit of work on the trans tunnel to fit the ZF box.

okfoz

GM liked to re use test cars... IIRC the Firefox and Firefox II were actually the same car, they just modified it rather than take another car. Not that uncommon really.

IMissMy86TA

interesting.. learn something new every day.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

I knew a local guy that had a dealer swap an LG4 Z28 to the 350 HO engine at the dealership upon buying it brand new around 85 or so. He always ran his head saying he had one of the only pre 87 350 cars GM put out. He argued and would make one believe GM had done this "for him" as long as I could remember.

F-body-fan

Description says it comes with an extra set of t-tops. I am more surprised with the first set of t-tops already in the roof.
Is this an exported vehicle, or made after production? Vin shows 1987 & 5.7. I see std gauges.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/122990446459?ul_noapp=true

JT

iTrader: (1)

It does not appear to be an export because the VIN is not in the Compnine database, which generally has exported ThirdGens.

Not easy for me to tell from the pictures if they are C&C aftermarket T-Tops?

Note that this car does not have the reinforcement in the doorjambs like factory T-Top cars. Below are pictures borrowed from OKFOZ's previous posts:





Also, while it appears he has a factory T-Top bag laying in the back cargo, is it original to the car? Factory T-Top cars have holders in the cargo for the T-Top bag's straps to fasten. The bag is either hiding them or they're not there.

scottmoyer

Those are factory TTops on the red GTA. If you zoom in on the front A pillar, you'll see they are factory. Now why it doesn't have the door support reinforcements, I have no clue.

JT

iTrader: (1)

I asked for a picture of the SPID. He provided a copy of the invoice. CC1 is not listed. Although the invoices for Pontiac don't list all RPOs it usually lists all major ones. CC1 is listed on my invoice for mine.

Still want to see the SPID but it would appear CC1 may not be on this car.

scottmoyer

Then the roof has been swapped from a ttop car.

JT

iTrader: (1)

A lot of work?

I sometimes have trouble seeing between the two unless it's a very clear view. As you know, this is C&C below.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Doesn't have the fat moldings and rubber strips C&C used to cover the cuts, and it has a hardtop overhead console. Pretty safe to say this one's been cut.

okfoz

The sun visors also appear to be non-T-top...

F-body-fan

Very possible this cars was a wrecked builder at some point in its past. Probably had some "parts" swapped during the process. Maybe even one of the smallest parts, that's taboo to touch......

Or somebody really wanted t-tops & cut the roof off another car. Thats probably the most plausible explanation as CC1 is not on the option list.

okfoz

I know a local guy took a 1991 or 1992 Z28 350, and installed T-tops onto it. They owned a body shop, cut off the tops and swapped them out. It is not impossible. Cut at the A-pillar and the B-pillar and weld them back together. Measure twice cut once, and measure again to make sure it all fits. Most of the time people that do these conversions miss the little things like the sun visors, the door jamb blocks and such tho.